Copy of Deforestation and Desertification of the Sahara Desert

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made by Eligh Alvarez and Hailey Rogers Deforestation and Desertification of the Sahara Desert Northern Africa was covered in rolling grasslands, untouched by aridity. In the Beginning DroughtPoor Farming TechniquesOvergrazing of LivestockDrainage of Surface and Underground WaterIncreased Erosion Due to Land-Clearing What were the problems after the desert initially formed? Who/what does desertification effect? Desertification destroys the lives of plants, animals, and humans in Africa. The Pull tribe in the Sahara desert is currently faced with the devestating effects that desertification has on the environment. Changes in Earth's orbit caused two episodes of mass deterioration that lasted from 6,700-5,500 and 4,000-3,600 years ago. This led to the first rolling sand dunes and harsh conditions that now define the Great Desert. This causes desertification to occur much more readily and speeds up the process to a much faster rate. Aka: BAD So What? "Deforestation" Increased Erosion Due to Land-Clearing Deforestation is most at fault for the desertification and destruction of fertile land in Africa.The removal of plants eliminates roots that are needed to bind the soil together and without them the land degrades to sand.Over the past thousands of years, man has been cultivating land with slash and burn techniques, leaving no leftover nourishment for plants to grow after harvesting, thus no roots, and the spread of arid land. The Sahara Desert Today The Sahel is a band of semi-arid land that separates the Sahara from the lush land of mid and southern AfricaA drought started in the late 1960s and had an extremely devastating impact on the ecologically vulnerable region.350,000 faced starvation, and 1.2 million were at risk of famine.The Sahara extended 100 km southwards between 1950 and 1975. The Sahel of Northern Africa Desertification is the expansion of arid land; the growth of deserts.It leaves land completely useless for growing crops, creating communities, or even living.It is extremely unpredictable and can happen in random spurts.It has plagued northern Africa for thousands of years. Desertification What continue to be the major present day causes of deforestation? poor farming techniquesstripping the land of its natural cover for firewood and growing cropsover-grazingcommercial loggingdepleting groundwater Regions that are at a high risk usually have problems with: What regions are easily affected? What is a desert? A desert is an area that has issues sustaining vegetation. It is extremely difficult to grow any plants due to its extreme lack of precipitation, and water in general. The world's largest hot desert is the Sahara. Something needs to be done soon or all of Africa will turn into a desert What does the future hold? If nothing is changed If humans begin to help People continue cutting and burning down trees The desert continues to grow, taking over all other land Plant and animal species go extinct, including the ones that humans need for food Water becomes almost impossible to find and millions die of dehydration It eventually becomes impossible to survive on Africa as desert has completly taken over People learn more efficient and less destructive ways of farming Trees are planted along the edge of the Sahara desert creating a "Great Green Wall" or natural barrier between agricultural land and the desert Slowly, the Sahara desert decreases in size creating more usable soil for farming, grazing, and wild life Happily Ever After! Everyone Lives Poor rainfallLots of slash and burn agriculturePoor farming habitsLots of animal grazingBeing next to deserts that have already formed One great example of this is the Sahel